Seismic codes vary greatly by country, reflecting past earthquake experience and advances in earthquake engineering.
Japan has among the world's strictest seismic standards. They were greatly strengthened after the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Current Japanese codes (Building Standards Law) require buildings not to collapse in 100-year earthquakes and suffer minimal damage in 50-year earthquakes.
Chile has strong seismic standards, especially improved after the 2010 magnitude 8.8 earthquake. Mexico improved standards after the 1985 major earthquake, but some regions remain insufficient.
New Zealand and Australia have high standards. The United States sets standards for high-risk areas like California but doesn't standardize nationally.
Low-income countries often have underdeveloped or unenforced seismic standards, resulting in more severe earthquake damage. Adopting international seismic standards could significantly reduce earthquake casualties worldwide.